Buenafication Day Generates Over 4,700 Hours of Service

Buenafication Day Generates Over 4,700 Hours of Service

May 13, 2013

The 100th anniversary of the founding of Buenafication Day at Buena Vista University was everything that the planners had hoped it would be.

"We wanted a memorable 100th year and we got it! It was a very successful day and we made a huge impact in the community," says Dr. Ashley Farmer-Hanson, director of civic engagement at BVU. "It was great to see so many people show up and get excited about service."

Approximately 950 BVU students, faculty and staff took part in the April 23 event, and partnered with students in the Storm Lake public schools and St. Mary's for a total of 2,290 participants. Altogether, they completed around 4,760 total hours of service. The middle school and high school students worked primarily on projects in the parks and will continue that work at a later date, says Farmer-Hanson.

Because of inclement weather, most of the outdoor projects were cancelled and people who had volunteered for those activities were reassigned to other locations to work on projects indoors. Among the completed service projects were: 24,000 packaged meals; 6,000 cookies; 6,000 servings of soup; 50 military mail cards; 25 blankets; 30 journals; 200 May Day baskets; 50 HOPE bracelets; one Freedom Quilt; and lessons to middle school classes on leadership, growing plants/recycling, and garbology.

Eighty BVU students, faculty and staff were also recognized for completing the "10 Hour Challenge" which began last fall to encourage students and others to complete 10 hours of community service prior to Buenafication Day this year. The challenge was coordinated by Student MOVE (Mobilizing Outreach and Volunteer Efforts), the organization that coordinates service projects. The service hours completed for the challenge were not included in the 4,760 total hours completed on Buenafication Day.